


Baby Thing My Ass

by prettypinkliquid



Category: The Mandalorian & Cara Dune - Fandom, The Mandalorian (TV), The Mandalorian/Cara Dune - Fandom
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Other, Reluctant Parent, Tooth Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23737336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettypinkliquid/pseuds/prettypinkliquid
Summary: According to a certain shocktrooper, she doesn't do the baby thing, and she's just taking care of him because she has to.  According to a certain shocktrooper's behavior, she's lying her ass off too.
Comments: 66
Kudos: 66





	1. The Natural

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter of this will be another situation that our reluctant "momma" has to deal with. Some of these will be shorter than others. Din might show up on the odd occasion, but the primary focus is between Bean (which I will probably continue to use even AFTER we learn what his real name is) and Cara.

Cara sat on the sofa in her living room, using a needle and thread to give new life to a set of pouches she’d picked up at the market earlier in the day while she listened to a true crime holovid program she’d fallen in love with. She’d been keeping an eye out for the pouches for several weeks, having gotten an idea to use them to create something special. The alterations she was making were minor, but they were tedious, her skilled fingers turning simple storage pouches into rompers for the little one currently sleeping in her bedroom.

She’d picked Din up just before dusk, after being alerted by Greef of the bounty hunter’s return to Navarro. During their ride back to her living quarters he brought her up to speed on everything that both he and the little one had done since the last time she saw them, and said that the reason for his return was because he needed to have a conversation with both her and the Armorer. He explained that his conversation with the Armorer was his top priority, and he would speak to Cara as soon as he’d spoken to her. He asked to leave Bean with her, citing a tummy ache, and not wanting the smells of the sewers to make him anymore uncomfortable than he already was.

Cara had agreed, noticing the poor thing looked miserable. When they reached her quarters she’d had to swallow a smile as Bean willingly snuggled into her when Din pulled him from his carry pouch and handed him over. Din promised to be back within an hour or so unless something went wrong, and set off towards the bazaar.

She carried the little one inside and got him settled on her bed, Bean instantly snuggling down into the nest she made him, and falling asleep. “Don’t tell anybody I said this, but I’m glad you and your dad came back, I’ve missed you two,” she murmured. A brown eye opened a crack and Bean made a noise that sounded like a faint giggle, before drifting off again.

She finished the last romper and bit off the thread before standing to add the small stack of completed garments to the large container she’d been storing everything in. Not long after the city had begun to regroup and rebuild she found herself collecting things for her friend’s adopted son, so that he would have some stuff at her place when and if they ever came back. 

So far she’d picked up a quilt made of fabric in bright colors, several stuffed animals, and some bricks made from lava. When Greef had teased her about not doing the baby thing, she finally admitted that the reason she said that was that babies made her anxious because their inability to speak made it difficult to figure out what they wanted, which tended to wear on her patience. She was perfectly fine with them once the language barrier was breached. She was in the process of cleaning up the mess when a loud distressed chirp echoed out from the bedroom.

Cara quickly shut off the holovid and then padded into her bedroom and picked up the upset child. She snuggled him against her shoulder, gently resting her cheek against the top of his head, and he clung to her with a whimper. “It’s okay, you’re okay. Momma’s here, momma’s gotcha,” she murmured soothingly, rubbing his back in small circles.

The word was out of her mouth before she realized it, and she mentally chastised herself for using it. _Don’t say that you’ll confuse him! That’s not fair to him or his dad! You can’t afford to get attached to him for his own sake!_

Bean began to sputter and gag, and Cara realized he was about to throw up. She quickly carried him into the kitchen, positioning him over the waste container just in time for him to regurgitate an undigested whole frog. His tummy now emptied of the irritant Bean let out a sigh of relief, resting his head against Cara’s shoulder when she turned him upright again.

Cara took one look at the color of the putrid amphibian and knew instantly it was the source of the toddler’s discomfort. “No wonder you were sick Bean. Dada and I can’t eat those one’s because they’re poisonous. Looks like you can’t either,” she soothed. “Feel better?”

Her answer was a soft happy coo that made her smile. “How bout we get you a sponge bath in the fresher sink and then we’ll get you something to eat that won’t make your tummy hurt?” She asked.

Bean nodded with a hiccup. She crossed back into the living room and snagged one of the rompers she’d just finished making him along with part of the diapering goods she’d picked up. Bean gave a loud gurgle of happiness at the sight of the rompers, making Cara smile.

She carried him into the fresher and sat him on the counter beside the small sink. She turned on the water and spent a moment fiddling with the temperature, wanting it to be warm enough so that he’d be comfortable, but not hot enough to burn him. Cara closed off the drain, then reached out and grabbed the shampoo bottle from the nearby shelf, uncapping it and squirting a few drops into the water to make bubbles. 

She put the bottle back on the shelf and kept an eye on the filling sink as she gently picked up Bean and stood him on his feet. “Arms up please,” she said with a smile.

Bean didn’t respond to her request until she took hold of his oversized robe and began pulling it up towards his head. He raised his arms and Cara stripped off the robe. She snickered as he instantly yanked on his diaper, eager to be rid of it too. Cara unfastened his dirty diaper and put both it and the robe aside. When she turned back her eyes widened as she realized that his gender was incredibly obvious. She cut off the water and then gently picked him up, sitting him in the sink. He squealed in delight and began smacking at the bubbles with his tiny hands.

Cara let him spend a moment playing, certain that although Din meant well, he probably gave no thought to letting Bean play in the water when he bathed him. She retrieved a towel along with a washcloth and a bar of soap, putting the towel within reach as she returned to her young charge. She dunked the washcloth in the water and then used the bar of soap to lather it. She ran it over his skin, paying close attention to getting in between the little wrinkles on his forehead.

He held out his arms and legs to help her scrub them down, but when it came time to wash his bottom and his privates he stubbornly refused to stand up. “You wanna do that yourself?” She asked him. He nodded. “Gotta stand up first.”

Bean allowed her to help him get on his feet, and then Cara gave him the washcloth, gently holding onto one of his arms to keep him from slipping.”Such a big boy you are,” she praised him as he cleaned himself. “Nothing wrong with not wanting to be touched there by anybody. Not even me and dada.”

He gave her the rag back and sat back down in the water. “Still haven’t found anything for you to play with in the tub, but don’t worry, I’m keeping an eye out,” she said as she watched him push a bar of soap around the surface of the water. She wrung out the washcloth and then tossed it into a nearby bin before picking up the towel. “Alright, time to get out lil man,” she said gently.

To her surprise Bean pushed himself to his feet, using her forearm to steady himself until he got his balance. She pushed down on the plunger to open the drain and let the water out, gently scooping him up and standing him on the counter. She gently toweled off his skin, making sure to allow him to dry the same area he had previously deemed off limits.

She also paid close attention to getting his ears really well dried, and after noticing how flexible they were she gently turned them inside out so they folded back on themselves, chuckling at how silly looked. “Hey,” she said, reaching out to tap the mirror. Bean turned to look and let out a shriek of giggles. After a few moments of laughter she just as gently flipped them right side out again.

She tossed the towel in the hamper and picked up one of the new diapers she’d bought him from the bazaar. One side of the diaper was coated with a layer of plasti-clear, which meant that the child could soil the diaper, without soiling his clothes. Cara fastened one of the sides and then held it out to the little creature, bypassing his dislike of being laid down to be changed.

Bean stepped into the diaper and Cara pulled it into place and fastened the remaining side. She picked up one of the playsuits she’d made him, and he let out a happy trill, eager to wear something new. She helped him into it, slowly tightening the drawstring around his neck that would hold it in place. Bean watched her hand movements and then reached up and parroted the motion several times. “Someone’s a quick learner,” Cara cooed as he figured out that the drawstring was what was responsible for keeping the playsuit on. “How about we go get you some stew?”

Her answer was an enthusiastic nod, having revealed early on that he was a big fan of Cara’s cooking skills. She picked him up and as she walked out of the fresher and towards the kitchen he leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek, the closest he could come to a kiss. “Mah!” He chirruped.

Cara smiled and kissed the top of his head, making the same noise that he did when she did it. He put his head on her shoulder and loosely clutched a handful of her shirt in his small fist. “Uv my Ara,” he burbled.

She bit down hard on her tongue to keep the tears at bay, not wanting him to think he’d said something bad and made her cry. “Love my little green bean,” she said, emotion coloring her words. Despite not wanting to get close to the baby so that it would be easy to say goodbye when the time came, he was slowly chipping away at the wall that she’d erected around her heart. This time, when Din left Navarro she was going to do whatever it took to go too.


	2. Om Nom Nom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they settle into life on the ship, Din has a minor mishap with Bean that almost goes too far, and Cara has another slip of the tongue.

Cara stood in front of the cooker in the galley of Din’s sleek new gunship, ladling up two portions of the stew she’d just finished putting together into bowls. She picked up a plate that had several divided sections and put large chunks of cooked meat into one, and steamed vegetables into another before carefully ladling up some of the stew’s liquid and putting it in the smallest section.

She had cut up the meat and vegetables into chunks big enough for Bean to pick up with his hands so he could feed himself, something he was getting increasingly insistent on doing. He also made less of a mess when he had the option to dip his food into the sauce, instead of giving it to him with everything already mixed.

She put the baby’s plate on the table in front of his chair before putting out two bowls of stew for herself and Din. She poured two glasses of water for herself and her companion, and a cup of juice for the baby. She placed those on the table as well, and then stepped over to the ladder that lead to the cockpit. “It’s ready,” she called.

“Be right down,” Din’s voice called from above. “We’re just about ready to make the jump.”

Cara turned her attention to the little one playing put and take with a set of plasti-clear rings and a dowel glued to a wooden block at her feet. “Okay little man, time to eat,” she said.

Bean abandoned his toys, pushed himself to his feet, and scurried over to her holding up his arms. Cara chuckled and picked him up. “Osh!” He exclaimed.

Cara carried him over to the galley sink and turned the water on, fiddling with the temperature for a moment before holding him up in such a way that he could wash his hands. He stuck them in the water to get them wet, and then held one out, palm side up, waiting for soap. Cara grinned and grabbed the bottle, squirting a tiny drop onto his hand. He rubbed his hands together to lather them, then stuck them back under the water to rinse away the suds. “Un!” He declared, pulling his hands back a second time.

Cara shut off the water and then picked up the hand towel and held it up, allowing him to dry his hands. She had no idea where or when he’d picked up the habit, and neither did Din. She carried him over to the table and sat him in the chair Din had customized for him that allowed him to eat comfortably, but not feel isolated from his family. 

She pulled out her own chair and sat down, expecting to have to gently reprimand Bean to wait for his dad. To her surprise, the little guy sat quietly in his chair, patiently waiting for Din to join them. There was a jumpy shudder which indicated they’d entered hyperspace, and moments later they heard Din’s boots hit the floor. “Look at our big boy daddy. He knows that dada likes to eat meals together as a family,” Cara said as Din pulled out his chair.

Cara did a double take as he sat down, still not used to seeing him without his helmet after he revealed that he could take it off in the presence of immediate family which is what he considered her. Din smothered a grin at hearing her refer to Bean as ‘our baby’, secretly loving the fact that despite Cara’s staunch belief she wasn’t cut out for parenthood, her heart kept finding ways to prove otherwise.

They tucked into their food, both keeping an eye on the baby to make sure he didn’t eat to fast and choke, he tended to be a little bit of a greedy glutton when it came to his food. “So, where we headed?” Cara asked, taking a swallow from her glass.

“The Outer Rim. I figure our best bet is to go as far out as we can and work our way back in, that way we can see just how far spread knowledge of his kind is,” Din answered.

Cara nodded. “I’ve got a list going on my datapad, to keep up with the info we come up with. Make it easier to detect patterns, and not get stuff mixed up,” she said.

“Good idea. We can use it to make sure we’re not chasing down three different versions of the same lead too, no point in chasing ghosts,” Din added.

“That’s what I was thinking,” she said. She was interrupted by the sound of coughing, and they both looked over to see Bean spit out a chunk of meat that appeared to be partially chewed.

“Eating too fast ad’ika,” Din said with a touch of frustration. “No one’s going to take it from you, I promise.”

Bean shook his head and picked up his mug, taking a drink of his juice. He put his mug back on the table and picked up the same chunk, putting it back in his mouth. This time he ate it without problem.

“I think it went down before he was ready to swallow it,” Cara said as she observed the little guy’s actions. Bean nodded in agreement. She kept a close watch as he picked up a chunk of a vegetable he hadn’t had before. He popped it in his mouth and chewed, and his eyes went wide. He swallowed it and his eyes instantly went to his plate, he poked at the vegetables left to see if she’d given him anymore. “Like that huh?” She asked, grinning.

He nodded with a happy coo. Din smiled as he watched them interact with each other. Cara had only been on the ship for a couple of days, but Bean’s livelihood was already improving. He knew the ration kits weren’t the best thing for the little guy but had little practice with a foundling so young. He was happy that Cara was going to be able to fill the gaps and maybe catch the things that he overlooked simply because they never occurred to him. “Thank you, for thinking of things for him. The foundlings I helped care for were older, didn’t get a lot of practice with babies,” he said quietly.

Cara smiled at him.” If it makes you feel any better, I don’t know what I’m doing either. I’m just kinda watching for problems and coming up with solutions for them when they happen,” she said. “And you do think of things for him. You asked Kuill about padding a box so Bean could sleep better, and you made him a chair so he could sit at the table and eat meals with you.”

“I asked Kuill to pad his box because I was exhausted from being up and down with him because he didn’t sleep well in it, and the chair was so I could feed him and myself at the same time,” Din said lamely.

“See? Just like me you’re creating solutions for the problems he has,” Cara corrected. “You’re not gonna have to raise him alone Din, I’m right here with you. Besides, he’s not a human baby, so traditional methods won’t always work for us anyways.”

Din smiled at her reassurance, and they finished their meal in companionable silence, Bean squealing in delight when Cara gave him a cookie as a reward for cleaning his plate. “I need to mend a couple of tears in my kute, and then I’ll take Bean with me when I shower and give him a bath at the same time. I have to warn you, he hates taking a bath and throws a massive tantrum when I make him,” Din explained as they cleared the table.

Cara noticed that Bean’s ears drooped at the mention of taking a bath, and thought it was odd that he had a tantrum whenever Din gave him one in the shower considering he’d had a ball when she’d bathed him in the fresher sink in her apartment. She wondered if something else was going on and decided to pay attention to the situation and see if she noticed anything Din was overlooking.

An hour later Cara hurried into the cockpit and closed the doors, desperate to get away from the sounds of wailing and crying that were coming from the fresher. Once they had started, it tore at her heart so badly that her first instinct had been to rip Bean from Din’s arms and soothe him.

But she hadn’t seen anything that stuck out that Din had overlooked, and knew that if she took him away from Din, the baby would think that all he had to do to get out of a bath would be to scream and cry. It was also the best way for him to get used to the shower.

She turned her attention to the datapad in her hands, and she tried to focus on creating a grocery list of items that were staples and would need to be picked up at every stop. To help Din feel better about caring for the baby she added ‘Goodies for Bean’ to the list. Hearing the wailing increase in volume made her grit her teeth, and she fought down another urge to intervene.

Cara had noticed that despite the bigger ship, Din hadn’t thought about turning one of the sleeping pods into a room for Bean, so she started a new list and began to put down ideas she had about creating one. The unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh accompanied by a shrill scream made her snap, and she stormed towards the ladder. Din had better hope to the Maker he hadn’t hit the baby, otherwise his ass would be in carbonite until they got to the Outer Rim.

She stepped off the cockpit ladder and immediately felt something slam into her right boot. She looked down and saw Bean frantically clawing at her leg, attempting to climb up her tall frame. Cara snatched a towel from the hook outside the fresher, wrapping Bean in it and picking him up. When she realized he was shaking the death grip she had on her temper slipped slightly.

“What happened?” She seethed. Din remained silent, and pushed his way past her, climbing the ladder to the cockpit. As much as she wanted to go after him and beat the answer out of him, she knew that at that moment Bean needed her more.

“Shh,” she soothed, snuggling him tightly against her and rubbing his back. “Ara it oud,” Bean hiccupped.

Cara’s eyes closed and she felt her anger morph into remorse as she easily decoded his words. Even though the explanation for his reaction should’ve been blatantly obvious, she had a feeling it never occurred to Din how loud the shower would be to Bean’s large ears. “Oh buddy, I’m sorry,” she said in a soft voice.

She rocked him and rubbed his back until he had stopped shaking. ‘Tell you what, how bout we get you set up to play with your lava blocks while momma gets a shower, then we’ll get you a bath in the galley sink?” She said.

_Gah! You said that word again! You gotta stop using it before he thinks it’s okay to call you that!_

Tonight, Cara decided to ignore the little voice in her head, and just focus on Bean. He nodded as an answer to her question, and she padded over to the storage shelf and retrieved the bag of brightly painted blocks that were made from lava, getting him set up on the floor where he could see her from the fresher, and the master sleeping pod.

For the following half hour, he contently played with the blocks while Cara took a shower and got changed for bed. Once she was dressed, she gave Bean his bath and then dressed him in a diaper and the tiny shirt made from soft fabric she’d found at the bazaar while they were picking up supplies their last morning on Navarro. It was long enough that it covered his diaper, but unlike his playsuits it didn’t have a drawstring cord that could pose a threat when he slept.

Cara carried him to her bunk and sat down, Bean instantly reaching out to snag his plush mudhorn and cuddle it as he snuggled against Cara. She gently stroked his head and ears as she rocked from side to side, and it didn’t take long before he was sound asleep. She tucked him into his pod that floated between both bunks, and covered him up with Oogie, the name he’d given the blanket she’d bought for him. With Bean now down for the night she padded back into the main living area and took something out of a drawer before heading for the cockpit.

She found him studying a star chart, deciding where they would start looking once they reached the Outer Rim. “I know why Bean freaks out when you put him in the shower, and it’s not because he doesn’t want to take a bath,” she said evenly, forcing herself to not lose her temper and take his head off. She knew that once she told him what made Bean so upset, he was going to feel like absolute shit.

“What is it then?” Din asked without turning around. Cara activated both of the com links she’d brought upstairs with her and then positioned them in her hand so that they caused feedback and pressed them against Din’s ear.

Din yelped and covered his ear as he twisted his upper body to get away from the loud irritating noise. “What the?” He snapped a split second before his brain kicked in, and Cara watched as his face fell when he realized why she’d done it. “Oh Maker,” he said, covering his face with his hands. “I never once thought about how loud it would sound with his ears as big as they are,”

“It’s okay, like I said earlier we’ve got somewhat of a learning curve, and I felt the same way when it hit me how obvious it was,” Cara placated. “Now that we know, he can just take baths in the galley sink. Unbelievably, he actually loves baths.”

“Next supply run make sure you remind me, I wanna get him something special to say sorry,” Din requested.

“Will do, but he doesn’t need a gift for something like that,” Cara said. “You wanna make it up to him, tell him your sorry and spend a little extra time doing something he likes to do with you.”

“I’ll do that too. I want to get him a basin that’s deep enough and big enough that he can take a bath in it and have the ability to splash around a little,” Din explained. “It’s not so much a gift, as a practical solution to the problem.”

“That’s a good idea actually. You get it, I’ll get him some stuff to play with in it,” Cara said. “One other thing, why did it sound like you struck him at one point?”

Din winced at the question, confirming to her that he had indeed hit the little man. “He bit me, so I gave his butt a quick swat. It was a knee jerk reaction and I felt like shit as soon as I did it too. Not my idea of discipline,” he explained.

“I’ve got no problem with spanking if everything else we try doesn’t work, but I don’t think it should be our go to method of discipline,” Cara added, yawning. “C’mon back downstairs and let’s go to bed. None of what happened is worth losing sleep over.”

Din nodded and stood, following her out of the cockpit. Parenting wasn’t so bad with her by his side.


	3. Big Boy Now pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After two heart to heart conversations back to back, Cara decides not to fight it anymore and embrace the role she plays in Bean's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Star Wars Day! 
> 
> This has had to be broken down into two parts, it's going to wind up being much too long otherwise. Part 2 of this chapter already in the works.

Din lay on his back on his bunk in the master sleeping compartment, rolling a thought over and over in his brain. She’d said that there was nothing that went on that was worth losing sleep over, but he couldn’t dismiss what she’d said about spanking. He knew she wouldn’t strike Bean without reason, but at the same time the little guy saw enough violence as it was. “You awake?” He asked softly, mindful that the little one was snoozing in his pod.

“Mmm,” came the quiet reply. Din nearly replied a second time but thought better of it. He slipped out of bed, and took two short steps, curling up at the foot of Cara’s bunk.

“You know what you said about spanking? I’d rather that not be a part of our arsenal when it comes to discipline. He sees enough violence as it is, I don’t want him to think we have no hesitations visiting it on him,” he burred.

Cara turned on her side, shifting so that they could see each other’s face. “Are you alright with gently smacking his hand if he tries to grab or touch something that could hurt him? “

“Yes, coupled with a gentle but firm no. I do that with him now. He understands I’m not angry at him, but whatever he was about to put his hands on is a no no,” Din answered.

“That’s what I meant by last resort. He’s about to get into something that will either get him in trouble, or hurt, and the quickest way to stop him from that for his own safety is a quick pop on the butt, along with a ‘no’. Just enough to either make him stop, or sit down,” she explained. ‘Times when saying something like ‘no no you can’t do that sweetie, you’ll get hurt’ would take too long, and you need him to stop _now_. “

Din felt tension he didn’t know he was carrying melt away at her statement. “I grew up in a household where spanking was the norm. I swore to myself if I ever had kids, I’d never spank them without a really good reason,” she continued. “Sorry if I made you think it was going to be my go-to way of disciplining him.”

“It’s okay, this is one of those topics I’m sure all parents discuss at some point. I’m okay with spanking being used like that. I don’t know what sort of disciplinary tactics work with him, I haven’t had to use any yet,” he said.

“We’ll figure that out as we need to. There is something we could do for him that would help out with it when we do have to discipline him,” Cara said.

“What?” Din asked.

“What if we turned one of the smaller sleeping compartments into a room for him? Somewhere he could keep all his toys out to play with whenever he wanted and could play with them without being a trip hazard,” Cara answered.

“That’s…that’s a really clever idea actually,” Din said. “Told you I’m not good at this stuff.”

“And I told you I’m just guessing, and we’ll figure things out as we go along,” Cara retorted. “Tomorrow we’ll figure out which compartment to use, and what kinds of stuff to do with it for him.”

Din nodded with a yawn and moved towards the edge of her bunk with the intention of returning to his own. “You don’t have to go back over there,” Cara murmured, suddenly shy. She wouldn’t admit it, but she’d been harboring feelings for the Mandalorian since the night they sat side by side in a krill pond up to their necks in water. 

She was quite sure Din didn’t harbor the same feelings, and that was fine, she could manage just being friends if that’s what it took for him to be a part of her life. She hadn’t realized how much he’d grown on her until he’d turned down her offer for an escort on Sorgan and she’d had to stay behind.

When he’d come back to her for help and he’d revealed he needed her to be a part of the mission because he didn’t trust anyone else, she’d played it off that she was only saying yes as a favor, but inwardly she was so excited to be with him again. She’d chalked up her mounting feelings as a schoolgirl crush, until he’d gotten hurt and she found herself terrified of losing him.

When she found that IG had kept his word and pulled Din through, she made up her mind to tell him how she felt as soon as they were alone on the Crest. But when she said she was staying behind on Navarro, he hadn’t asked her to come with him instead, and so she made up her mind that feelings for something more than friends were one sided.

But he’d come back for her a second time, and this time revealed that he considered her part of his immediate family, and so to her it meant that there was something between them after all. She just needed to find out what it was.

When he stood and padded over to his bunk, she worried she’d taken things too far, but seconds later he returned with his own pillow and blanket. “Put your head up this way, I don’t wanna kick you in the face in my sleep,” Cara gently commanded, patting a spot on the cot near her hip.

He put his pillow in the space she indicated and stretched out, their stocky builds forced them to curl and fold around each other to fit in the tight space.

“Night Dune”

“Night Din”

***

The next morning found both awake and reluctant to move. “I can’t remember a night where I didn’t have a nightmare,” Din mumbled.

“Same,” Cara admitted. “This is the first time I’ve slept solidly all night long in years.”

“Would it be okay if we started sleeping like this?” Din cautiously asked.

“It would if there was more room,” Cara answered. “This is a little crowded for the long term.”

“The bunks can be moved so that they’re side by side and create a bigger place to sleep,” Din offered. “Figured that out not long after I took ownership. I’ve just never bothered to do it because it was pointless.”

“In that case, I’m all for it,” Cara replied. “We can get it put together after breakfast.”

There was a moment of silence, broken by a soft cry. “Dada?”

“Over here little man,” Cara rumbled, completely unconcerned with Bean finding them in the same bunk. She smiled when Din’s body language revealed he wasn’t worried about it either.

“Mama,” Bean said in response to her voice.

Din saw her mouth tighten into a thin line, and she closed her eyes as if her brain were arguing with her heart. “Hey Bean, bring dada your pouch,” he said.

They could hear him fumbling for something followed by his distinctive step pattern, and when he made it to the bed Cara reached down and scooped him up, sitting him on top of her hip so that he could see them both. He held out the pouch and Din took it, pouring out the meager contents and setting them aside. “Look familiar?” Din asked, holding up the small black pouch.

“Should it?” Cara countered.

“Yes, considering it originally belonged to you,” Din answered. “It didn’t look like this though.”

When she still didn’t recognize it, he let the cat out of the bag. “It’s made from the scrap of fabric you used to cover your tattoo on Navarro. He got so bad about not letting it out of his sight I made it into a pouch for him,” Din explained.

Again Cara’s mouth tightened into a thin line and her eyes closed, her go to reaction anytime the baby did something that made it difficult not to let him all the way into her heart, and Din had a feeling he knew why. “If you’re uncomfortable with stuff like this because you don’t want to get attached, you can let that go. He’s not searching for his parents; he’s looking at them. When and if we find his people, you and I will both have to agree that we like what we see before he gets left with them, even if he wants to stay,” he explained. “You know I trust your judgement. As far as I’m concerned this is a trek to find out more about his people, so he understands where he came from and what his culture is.”

“Not wanting him to get attached and vice versa is only part of the problem. To me that moniker represents a level in our relationship that doesn’t exist,” she said.

“Not yet anyway,” Din instantly countered.

“Really?” Cara asked, trying to feign indifference, and failing spectacularly.

“Yes really,” Din replied. “I took you telling me I didn’t have to go back to my bunk as a sign, so I decided to ask about making the sleeping arrangements permanent as kind of an ice breaker.”

He reached out towards the hand resting on her hip and slid his fingers between her’s, interlocking them together. Bean could sense something had changed, something good, but he wasn’t quite sure what was going on. “Dada,” he said, pointing at Din.

“Dada,” Din repeated.

Bean turned his head to look at Cara and pointed. “Ara,” he said.

Cara shook her head, and briefly let go of Din’s hand. “Mama,” she said patting her chest. The same hand returned to her hip, and instantly tangled with Din’s. Bean let out a happy trill and kicked his feet in excitement which caused him to overbalance and topple off Cara’s hip and onto the bunk.

He giggled, which triggered laughter from both adults. They gave each other a look, knowing they would pick up their conversation again later. “How about Bean and I straighten the bunks and I’ll get his diaper changed while you make breakfast?” Cara asked.

‘Sounds like a plan. After breakfast I wanna see where we are in hyperspace and see if we can’t drop out before we reach the Outer Rim. I wanna get started on his room,” Din answered. “Maybe with you hear, we can start to get him out of diapers and using the va…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but he didn’t need to. The look on Cara’s face told him she knew exactly what he was about to say. He realized that Bean had been reluctant to be potty trained for the same reason he’d had massive tantrums in the shower. It was too loud. “He can stay in diapers full time until we get to the next bazaar. I’ve got an idea to help out with his fear of the vac unit,” Cara said. “Speaking of vac units…”

She got up from the bunk and headed for the vac unit to relieve her bladder. Chuckling, Din got up and scooped up Bean. “Think I should tell her that according to our customs mama and daddy are technically already married?” He asked.

Bean answered with a sigh that seemed to say he wanted to be left out of that conversation. Din patted his back and kissed the top of his head. “Do you want bean mash or sesame bread and cohosh for breakfast?”

“Mash,” Bean replied. “Ocks.”

“No, no blocks before breakfast. You gotta help momma make the beds up, remember?” Din asked.

“Eeen” Bean said. “Mama eeen.”

“That’s right, you gotta help momma clean up the beds,” Din agreed. Cara emerged from the vac unit and collected the toddler before padding back into the sleeping compartment. She tossed the blanket and pillow Din had been using onto his bunk, then stood Bean on hers. He instantly took hold of her pillow and drug it up to the head of her bunk, smoothing out the casing.

He returned to the spot where her blanket remained wadded up, and when she kept her back to him he grinned impishly and pulled the blanket over his head. Cara smiled at the rustling she could hear behind her. She finished folding the blanket and laid it at the foot of Dins’ bunk, then put his pillow at the top. She turned around to finish her own bunk and then called out to Din. “Have you seen the baby?” She asked with mock despair, pretending not to see the large lump under her blanket that was giggling mischievously.

In the galley Din smiled, knowing Bean was playing hide and seek, and Cara had decided to ham it up a little. “Nope, haven’t seen him. Guess he must not want breakfast,” he called back.

“Bean? Bean, where are you?” She said, pretending to search for him. Cara carefully reached down and began tickling Bean who hooted in delight. He pulled the blanket down and she pretended to be relieved. “Found him,” she said.

“Good, come and eat, it’s ready,” Din answered.

Cara quickly folded the blanket and put it at the foot of the bunk. Bean held up his arms and she picked him up, carrying him out into the galley.


	4. Make Room For Bean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Cara decide to turn the living area on the Aliit Yaim (aka Din's new gunship) into a little more of a home for their son.

While Cara cleaned up after breakfast, Din had taken Bean with him to the cockpit to see where they were in their journey, and find a planet with a decent bazaar, wanting to get as stocked up on supplies as they could, along with getting the supplies needed to turn the sleeping pod they’d picked into a room for Bean. She wiped down the table and made sure both chairs were tucked under it out of the way. Satisfied with the way everything looked, she headed for the cockpit.

Upstairs she found Din trying to keep inquisitive little fingers away from the many buttons and knobs that kept the ship on course while simultaneously looking for a planet that would make for a suitable pit stop. “Any luck?” She asked with a grin.

“Crescent City. We should be ready to drop out of hyperspace in about an hour,” Din replied. “Maybe we can find something to keep the little whomp rat occupied.”

He gently scratched his son’s ears, smiling at the coos it elicited. He looked up to a knowing smile on Cara’s lips. “Don’t say it,” he warned playfully.

“Don’t say what?” She questioned, feigning innocence.

“You know what,” Din retorted.

“Don’t say that anyone with a set of eyes can tell he’s got you wrapped around his little green finger? Okay I won’t,” she teased.

“Look who’s talking,” he teased back.

Bean watched the interaction between his parents with mild interest. They behaved as if he wasn’t there, and he was beginning to understand that it didn’t mean they were ignoring him or didn’t like him anymore. When his eyes fell on Cara’s neck his ears drooped slightly as he remembered one of the first times he had witnessed their banter. He got upset that this strange person was taking his dada’s attention away again and had used his special feeling to try to make her go away.

That had upset his dada and had made him feel bad because he knew he’d done something wrong. Later, when the bad guy made the big fireball, he used his special feeling to protect both her and his dada. When he woke from his nap afterwards, he was so happy when the flap on his bag moved back and her face appeared. She put his dada’s necklace on him and told him to remember his dada loved him no matter what happened. He got to stay with her almost the whole time until he and dada left.

He was upset that she didn’t come too but was extremely excited when dada told him they were going back to see her again. When his belly hurt she took care of him, and got him new clothes, and got him his Oogie. If he had his dada’s necklace and his Oogie he felt safe and protected and loved. Nothing could ever hurt him. This time when they left, she came too, and he was so happy. Now he had his dada and his mama.

There was a huge lurch as the ship dropped out of hyperspace, and he watched through the huge windows as his dada took control of the ship and guided it towards a planet. Cara stood and lightly clapped her hands. “C’mon lil man, let’s go get you changed before we land,” Cara said.

Bean held up his arms and she picked him up before headed for the ladder and the galley below.

* * *

Half an hour later Din and Cara walked down the ramp, headed for the large bazaar. “I just need Bean to stay with me long enough to find him a chair for a project I’m working on, then he can go exploring with dada,” Cara said.

“Actually, I need him to say with mama today. I’m getting the wash tub, but I have an idea to do something special for him and I want it to be a complete surprise,” Din explained.

“Okay, you get the tub and a large mug if you can find one, the stuff for your surprise, the padding for the floor for his room, plus the dried meats for the pantry. I’ll get the chair, the pieces I need for my project, some goodies for bath time, and the rest of the grocery items,” Cara instructed. “Meet back at the ship in three hours?”

“Got your com link?” Din asked. He was so grateful that she didn’t put up an argument over taking the baby with her that he could’ve cared less that she saddled him with the brunt of the supply list.

Cara held up the small tube-like device. “Then I’ll see you back at the ship in three hours,” he said. He ran a hand over his son’s head, and briefly cupped Cara’s chin in his hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Words failed him, but the gesture spoke volumes. It silently conveyed how valuable she was to him, and how much he worried about her when they were separated. She reached up and gently grabbed his wrist, offering him a smile that she hoped conveyed the feeling was mutual. With a final look, they stepped off the ramp and set off in separate directions.

Within minutes of walking through the rows of stalls Cara identified a problem with Bean that fortunately had an easy solution. It would be tricky to shop for the things she needed for both her projects and the supply run with one hand, so the first order of business was to find a pouch that could be worn on her chest that Bean could comfortably ride in. Din had one, but it was custom made to be worn as a part of his Beskar. She needed one that would allow her to carry him whenever she was responsible for keeping up with him.

She passed stall after stall, keeping an eye out for a pouch big enough to suit her needs, and the other bits and pieces she needed to get. Thankfully, with them being in the Outer Rim people tended to keep their opinions to themselves, so no one gave Bean a second glance. A third of the way down the first row, she spotted something that she knew at first glance would be perfect.

She stepped up to the table where the goods were displayed and picked up the pouch. After looking it over thoroughly to make sure it wasn’t going to need repairing as soon as she got it back to the ship, she turned to the rotund man sitting on a nearby stool having assumed he was the vendor “How much?” She asked.

“Five credits,” the vendor said.

Cara reached down and removed a small pouch from her boot. She opened it and extracted the required number of credits, slapping them on the table before returning the pouch to her boot. The vendor scooped them up with a grunt and a sly grin, believing he’d gotten one over on her, because the hide the pouch was made from was considered cheap. Cara chuckled as she opened the pouch and tucked Bean into it, before slipping the straps over her shoulders and fastening them in place.

As soon as she’d picked up the pouch she’d realized it was made from the hide of a mudhorn and instantly made up her mind to buy it, as there was nothing more appropriate for her son to be carried in. Bean instantly clapped his hands excitedly as she set off again. He liked to be carried, but it was hard to see things sitting in the crook of momma’s or dada’s elbow. Plus, he could curl up and nap whenever he felt like it. When she passed a sloth cat he shrank down in the pouch, having had an extremely poor interaction with one previously. Cara noticed and kicked up dust at the animal, causing it to retreat into its hiding spot. “Overgrown hairball,” she growled. She reached into the pouch to gently stroke an ear. “Don’t worry little man, momma’s not gonna let anything hurt you.”

She returned her attention to her shopping, grinning to see Bean’s mood do a complete turnaround as they caught the scent of a stall selling sweet pastries. His eyes landed on some sort of roll that was nearly as big as his head, and he instantly began reaching for it. “Let’s get everything we need first, then we’ll come back and get some before we go back to the ship, okay?” She said, tickling his ears.

Bean nodded, now back to paying attention to his surroundings. She quickly picked up a small stuffed frog that made a perfect pouch companion, four toys the baby could play with in the tub, along with six small squares of fabric that would be perfect for Bean to use to wash himself with. She decided to leave the groceries for last and began looking for a vendor who sold furniture.

She was about to give up when she spotted something among the wares of a vendor who made children’s toys. It was a chair, likely meant for use by a doll, but would work perfectly for what she had in mind. As she approached the stall Bean reached towards a nearby booth where a man was selling skewers of cooked meats. He whined and made grunting noises as an indication of how badly he wanted one and Cara smiled, knowing the sweets were probably forgotten. “Tell you what. You be a big boy and help me out right quick, and momma will make that our next stop and we’ll get you a couple of them, okay?” She asked.

Bean grunted in agreement. When she reached the stall she picked up the chair and sat it out in front of the other goods before gently pulling Bean from the pouch and standing him on the table next to the chair. “Sit down so momma can see if it’s too little for you,” she said gently.

The baby turned around and sat down in the chair, his feet on the table surface, and his back against the backrest. It was perfect. She held open his carry pouch and he willingly climbed back in, his eyes beginning to droop. “What do you want for the chair?” She yelled over the hum of the machinery the vendor was using. The vendor turned and looked at her and then turned off the machine. “My stuff is donation’s only. If all you can afford is two credits, then it costs two credits for the item,” he said. “I do this because I like the work, not because I need the money.”

The vendor’s eyes fell on the top of Bean’s head, and his eyes went round. “Sweet Maker preserve me, the rumor was true,” he said. Cara’s hackles rose, and the vendor noticed, quickly throwing up a hand in apology. “Please, I mean no disrespect, nor do I intend any harm. There’s a story that’s been passed down in my family about a jedi like him, much older though. One of my family members was lucky enough to be trained as his padawan, which is what the jedi call their trainees. The way the jedi master’s appearance was described has always seemed outlandish, so I assumed that the tale had been retold so much the description had grown inaccurate. That little one proves otherwise,” he explained.

“Whatelse does your story tell you about him?” Cara asked.

“Only that like all jedi, they’re not made, they’re born, but for some reason the powers they possess seem to be stronger than with other jedi,” the vendor answered.

“Does the story mention where he came from?” Came her next question. She tried to word them carefully, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that the baby was being hunted.

“If it did it’s been forgotten to time,” the vendor offered.

Satisfied with the information she’d gotten she turned the conversation back to what had drawn her to the table to begin with. “How hard would it be for you to cut a hole in the seat?” She asked.

The vendor smiled, having a promising idea what she wanted it for. “Pick your container and I’ll cut the opening to match,” he replied. He produced a small block of wood and handed it to her. “Make sure your container is no taller than this.”

Cara took the block with a nod and moved off in search of a container, making sure to stop at the meat vendor as promised. She realized that the meat came from a variety of animals and bought two skewers that contained frog meat, the baby’s favorite.

Bean took the skewers she offered him and practically inhaled them, handing back the empty skewers with a loud burp that made Cara snicker. “Tank,” he chirruped, followed by a massive yawn.

“You’re welcome,” she replied.

His tummy full Bean wrapped an arm around his new plushie and put his thumb in his mouth; snuggling down inside the pouch and quickly drifting off. Cara smiled and loosely closed the pouch’s flap so that the baby would have some protection from the sun, but air could still flow through so he wouldn’t overheat. With him now taking his mid-morning nap she set out to finish her shopping, grateful for the reprieve of not listening to him insist on getting everything he liked the look of.

* * *

A couple of hours later, once they were back on board the ship, safely cruising through hyperspace, and Bean was occupied by a children’s holo-program, they worked on turning the space they’d chosen into a room for him.

They started with emptying the room of all the pre-installed furniture. Once it was out of the way Din grabbed the roll of thick foam padding that was typically used by freight ships with sensitive cargo. He’d found a vendor that had it in several colors, and had chosen bright blue. “They didn’t have black?” Cara teased.

“Are we doing this for him or for you?” Din countered with a grin, tossing her the roll of adhesive binding. “Be glad I went with something that wouldn’t induce nausea everytime you looked at it.”

Cara laid out strips of the binding around the parameter of the room and then filled it in with a grid pattern, wanting to ensure it would be held down regardless of what the ship was put through. They laid the padding down, carefully cutting it to fit snuggly around the nooks and crevices, pressing firmly to ensure the adhesive took and sealed it in place. “I was thinking. Since I bought enough, we could pad one of the back-cargo bays with it. Give us a place to spar and be a little heavier handed with our contact,” Din suggested.

“Not to mention the engines give off enough noise we don’t have to worry about waking the little man,” Cara added.

“That too,” Din agreed. He looked around as they pressed the last section of flooring into place. “What’s next?”

“Let’s put the stuff back in that came with the room so we know how much floor space we’ve got to work with, then go from there,” she replied.

They put the bunk back in the room, as close to the ceiling as they could get it, to keep it out of the way. Next came the storage unit, which Cara tucked almost completely into the corner, but left a space just wide enough for the potty chair, which would give Bean a little privacy. When she brought it into the room Din grinned. “You are a genius!” He said happily.

“I know,” she deadpanned. “We just gotta keep an eye on it and empty it in the vac when needed, then we can rinse and refill it in the cargo bay sink.”

She tucked it into the corner and then brought in the shelves, making sure they were slotted into the panels no higher than the top of her boots. “So, he can not only have access to his toys to play with them, but to put them away again too,” Din easily guessed.

Cara nodded. She stepped out into the main part of the living area and retrieved all of Bean’s toys, carrying them back into the room and arranging them neatly on the shelves.

“Did you put him down in his pod or one of our bunks?” He asked.

“My bunk. Why?” Cara countered.

“Good, it’ll make it easier to set up my stuff. Can you get his pod for me?” Din requested as he stepped out of the room. A sable brow arched, but she did as asked, stepping out and padding the short distance to their own sleeping quarters to retrieve the bed that Kuill had custom made for the baby. Bean looked up briefly but his attention quickly returned to the holo-vid, and Cara chuckled when she realized it was about frogs. When she brought the pod back to Bean’s room, she found Din setting up what appeared to be some sort of handmade docking station.

He retrieved the pod and gently pushed it into place, a clank and hiss telling him it had settled into the right spot. When he stepped back Cara smothered a grin at the miniature ramp and the joystick that were replicas of those found on the ship. “Don’t tell me,” she said in a tone that meant she was almost positive she knew what he’d done.

As an answer, Din reached out and moved the joystick, and the pod shifted back and forth slightly in response. She chuckled. “It gets better,” he said.

He removed three bottom panels on the wall that they’d left empty, and then stepped out of the room again. When he came back he had a set of panels that he’d modified so they were covered in various buttons, switches, and knobs. He inserted the panels, and plugged them into the ships power supply, causing some of them to light up. He stepped back to look at his handiwork. “What do you think?” He asked.

“If this is your something special that you put together it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, and you can no longer say you’re not good at thinking of things to do for him,” she replied.

“He can push buttons and flip switches to his little heart’s content,” Din said. “I wanted to give him a captain’s chair too, but I ran outta time.”

Cara was prevented from making a teasing comment by the soft cooing that came from their sleeping compartment, indicating that Bean had finished the program. She stepped out to get him, and Din was suddenly anxious that the little guy would like everything they’d done. Cara returned with the baby in her arms, she was speaking softly to him and rubbing his back, knowing the vid had made him sleepy. “Look Bean, momma and dada got you your very own room,” she cooed.

The baby squealed at the sight of his toys being where he could reach them, and the new things to explore. He began squirming in her arms in a desperate attempt to get down. Cara knelt and put him down, laughing at his enthusiasm. Bean cooed curiously at the sensation of the slightly springy surface under his little bare feet. He bounced a bit before wandering into the room to look at everything.

He studied the potty chair with curious interest before moving on to his pod. He easily climbed the ramp, and Din quietly let out a relieved breath that it wasn’t too steep. Bean spotted the joystick and instantly climbed into his pod, plopping down and grabbing the joystick in both hands. He moved it slightly, but quickly let go when his bed moved under him. He looked down at it, and then up at Din with a huge grin. Din laughed. “What is it ad’ika?” He asked. “Like that?”

Bean hooted and kicked his feet. A blinking light caught the little one’s eye, and when he spotted the panels he emitted a high pitched trill that made his parents cover their ears in reaction. This particular sound was rare, and Din had always interpreted it to mean Best. Day. Ever.

Bean pushed himself to his feet and fumbled back across his bed and down the ramp. When he made it to the panels he cautiously reached out and pressed one of the switches, watching the two of them for a reaction. Din chuckled. He reached out and flipped a different switch, making sure the baby could see him smiling when he did. “You can push and turn and flip these as much as you want little man,” he said.

Bean clapped his hands and turned his attention to learning what each one did. After watching him for a few minutes Cara quietly pulled Din out of the room. “We’ll have to lock him out of the room to get his attention at this point. Show me the bath stuff and then we’ll go work on padding one of the bays,” she said.

Din opened the door to the fresher, revealing a tub large enough to be more than sufficient, along with a mug to rinse with, and several plasti-clear toys he could play with. “This is perfect. Between your toys and mine, he’ll have plenty to play with,” Cara said.

Before Din could reply they could hear what sounded like water running in Bean’s room. Din cautiously took two steps back and peered in the direction of the potty chair, to be met by a tiny outraged face. “GAH!” Bean cried.

“Sorry!” Din said quickly whipping back around the corner, making Cara snicker. “Looks like he’s figured out the potty chair,” he said.

“Sounds like it,” she replied. “C’mon, let’s go get started on our own playroom.”

* * *

Several hours later Cara stepped out of the fresher and padded the short distance to Bean’s room where Din was playing with him while she showered. While they were padding out one of the cargo bays they talked about a number of subjects pertaining to the baby, most notably a bedtime routine.

After much back and forth they agreed to take turns with each part of the routine. One would give him a bath, then he would spend time with the other while that one bathed. Whichever one gave him his bath would then collect him for some cuddles until he went down for the night. Tonight, she’d been the one to give Bean his first bath in his new tub. When she’d carried him towards the fresher, he hid his face and began to whimper, prompting Cara to soothingly rub his back and kiss the top of his head. She’d lowered him into the tub, and when his feet touched the water he looked up in surprise. He sat down and patted the water with his tiny hands, as if he were trying to show her his tub. “I see,” she’d cooed.

Once he was bathed and dressed for bed, he spent one on one time with Din while Cara took her own bath. Now that she was clean and had changed into the sleeveless top she normally slept in she’d come to collect Bean for some one on one time to ease him into sleep. “Okay little man, ready for night night?” She asked.

Bean nodded sleepily. She gathered him into her arms and Din rolled up to a sitting position before getting to his feet. He kissed Cara’s cheek and the baby’s head in turn before heading to take his own shower.

Cara snagged Oogie on her way out of his room, stopping to put it in the drying cabinet and turn it to its lowest heat setting. She waited a few minutes and then pulled the now warm blanket back out of the cabinet, wrapping him in it before continuing to the main bedroom. When her eyes fell on the two separate bunks, she mentally face palmed. They’d gotten so focused on creating Bean’s room, and then padding the cargo bay for their sparring sessions that they’d completely forgotten about putting the bunks together. Oh well, one more night squished together wouldn’t kill them.

She adjusted her pillow and then settled on her bunk, reclining back against it. Bean wiggled to get into his favorite spot, his head pillowed just above her left breast, long ear pressed against her chest, listening to her heartbeat. She began to rhythmically pat his diapered bottom, and it wasn’t long before his thumb found its way into his mouth.

When Din got out of the fresher he quietly crept towards their bedroom, smiling at the soft melodic humming he could hear. He peeked around the doorframe and spotted Cara sitting on her bunk, reclined against her pillow with her ankles crossed, a very sleepy Bean snuggled in his blankie against her chest. She smiled down at him as her body slowly rocked from side to side. Din took a few moments to commit every detail to a memory so pure, not even the realization about their bunks could tarnish it. He turned to head for the cockpit and give everything a final once over before going to bed. As he reached the ladder to the cockpit, he couldn’t refrain from voicing a thought that had been on his mind a lot as of late.

“I don’t do the baby thing my ass.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to let these little moments write themselves, so some may be short, and some may be long.


End file.
